Sameer Gudhate presents the Book Review of Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie

Have you ever read a murder mystery and thought, “Honestly, I don’t feel bad that the victim died”? I know—it sounds terrible. But that’s exactly how I felt while reading Agatha Christie’s Appointment with Death. It’s not often a book makes you relieved about a character’s death, but Mrs. Boynton is the exception. Trust me, once you meet her, you’ll get it.

This isn’t just any Christie mystery. Published in 1938, it’s one of her darker psychological stories, with Hercule Poirot stepping into the spotlight only halfway through. Christie, the “Queen of Crime,” is best known for her razor-sharp plots and her unforgettable detective Poirot—always dapper, always a step ahead. Here, she explores psychological manipulation, toxic families, and the quiet desperation for freedom. It’s not just a whodunit—it’s a “why-the-heck-did-they-wait-this-long-to-do-it.”

Set against the dramatic red cliffs of Petra, Appointment with Death begins with a rather peculiar family holiday. Mrs. Boynton, a former prison warden (yes, really), exerts an eerie control over her adult stepchildren. They live under her thumb, emotionally and mentally stunted, until one day, she’s found dead—slumped like a grotesque statue, with nothing but a small puncture on her wrist.

Enter Poirot. He’s got just 24 hours to solve the case—and he only does so because of a strange comment he overheard in Jerusalem: “You do see, don’t you, that she’s got to be killed?” As always, Poirot uses not forensic science, but psychological insight and acute observation to crack the case. And what a tangled web it is.

Christie’s prose here is tight, psychological, and intensely atmospheric. She doesn’t waste words. What I love about her style in this book is that it feels like peeling an onion—you keep uncovering layers of dysfunction, cruelty, and long-suppressed emotion. She builds the tension slowly, almost teasingly, and then—bam!—everything collapses at once. Her character descriptions are masterful; Lady Westholme, for instance, is practically a cartoon of an English peeress, but oh so vividly real.

Mrs. Boynton is one of the most vile characters Christie ever created. Controlling, manipulative, emotionally abusive—she’s a prison warden in every sense of the word, even outside the prison. But the rest of the family? They're heartbreaking. Grown adults who still flinch under their mother’s gaze. Nadine, the daughter-in-law, tries to inject some normalcy, while Sarah King and Dr. Gerard, the outsiders, act as observers to this toxic mess.

This idea of psychological imprisonment hit me hard. It reminded me of certain families where obedience is valued more than independence, where control masquerades as love. Christie handles it with surprising depth.

The book is divided into two distinct parts—the build-up and the investigation. Poirot doesn’t take center stage until Part Two, but that’s actually part of the charm. The slow burn allows us to marinate in the family’s dysfunction. When the mystery finally kicks in, the pace picks up significantly. Admittedly, the ending feels a bit rushed, like the last few pages were in a hurry to get to the finish line. But the twist? Classic Christie—unexpected, yet completely plausible.

At its core, Appointment with Death is about freedom—freedom from abuse, from manipulation, from emotional chains. It also critiques blind obedience and explores how psychological control can be just as cruel as physical violence. Reading this today, I couldn’t help but think of families who isolate their children from the world under the guise of protection, much like what we’ve seen in some extreme homeschool or cult-like setups. Eerie how Christie saw it all coming.

This book made me angry—at Mrs. Boynton, at the system that enabled her, at the silence around abuse. But it also filled me with hope, especially in those moments when the younger characters began to push back. There's a quiet triumph in simply surviving. One of the most emotional moments for me? When Sarah confronts Mrs. Boynton, and we see just how deep the manipulation runs. Chilling.

The psychological depth is a major strength here. Christie doesn't just give us a murder; she gives us a motive rooted in years of subtle, soul-sapping cruelty. The setting is breathtaking, the characters are layered, and the tension? Slow-cooked perfection. Poirot’s ability to dissect the human mind shines like never before.

The only real flaw for me was the ending—it felt too quick. After all that buildup, I wanted the reveal to breathe a little more. Maybe even a dramatic monologue from Poirot (you know how he loves those!). Also, I would’ve liked a bit more exploration of what happens after. Do the children finally live their lives? Do they heal?

I’ve always been fascinated by stories of emotional entrapment, probably because freedom—intellectual, emotional, physical—is so deeply personal to me. This book left me thinking: what prisons are we living in without realizing it? Christie had a way of wrapping serious truths in mystery, and I’m here for it. This might just be my new favorite Poirot.

Appointment with Death is more than a murder mystery—it’s a psychological study, a social commentary, and a cry for freedom. Christie, as always, delivers a compelling read that lingers long after the last page. While not perfect in structure, it’s emotionally gripping, thematically rich, and deeply unsettling in the best way.

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